Use the standard Salesforce Workflow Rule and Approval Process functionality for any of the Accorto objects. Here we describe some options for approval process for Time+Expense Reports.


T&E Report Approval Process


To approve T&E Reports, you define one or more approval process for the different scenarios. The following shows how to setup a standard approval process.

  • Go to > Setup > Create > Workflow & Approvals > Approval Process
  • in Manage Approval Process For - select T&E Report
  • Use the Jump Start Wizard


Here some hints (see screen shot below):


  • Approval Assignment Email Template:
    create your own or lookup under Accorto, the "T&E Report Approval Request"
  • Select Approver: usually automatically assign an approver using the Manager (in User)
  • Initial Submission Actions:
    - Add existing Field Update - T&E Report Submitted
  • Final Approval Actions:
    - Edit the Record Lock and change to Unlock
    - Add existing Field Update: T&E Report Approved
    - Add optional Email Alerts
  • Final Rejection Actions:
    - Add existing Field Update: T&E Report NotApproved
    - Add optional Email Alerts
  • Recall Actions:
    - Add existing Field Update: T&E Report NotApproved


These changes allow to vie the approval status directly in the report without going into the tab.



Differentiating Time and Expense Reports


You can create different Approval Processes and use the Entry Criteria - e.g.based on fields Expense Amount and T&E Hours.


By Project Approval


If you submit your reports by Project, the Manager of the Project is copied to the Manager field in the T&E Report.


Automatic Approval


If you want to automatically approve Time and/or Expense Reports, you can use the Approval Step criteria:

Click on the Edit link of your Approval Step (right next to the Show Actions link)


For example, if you want to automatically approve all time reports (i.e. only approve expense reports)

- Select: Enter this step if the following criteria is met, else approve record

- Select: Field: T&E Report Amount Operator: greater than Value: 0


If you want to automatically approve all time and expense reports, just change the criteria e.g.

- Select: Field: T&E Report Description Operator: equals Value: Approve this!

(i.e. only reports with the specific description go to the approval queue)


Email and Mass Approval


The Salesforce Approval process requires a bit of clicking - probably the most comprehensive option is to use/modify the Email template "T&E Report Approval Request" to have all information for a T+E Report in one place.  

Another alternative to use the Mass Approval option, where you can view all the details of the reports to be approved with an easy option to approve/reject reports.